Chemical Stressor Effects on Amphibians: From Indivduals to Communities.

在所提出的问题和所采取的方法中，毒理学和生态学在很大程度上是独立的学科。然而，这两个领域都有一个共同的目标，那就是试图了解人为化学物质如何通过直接和间接的食物网效应影响物种和群落。这一共同目标对于理解化学应激源如何影响两栖动物群落尤其重要，因为目前对它们的全球衰退存在保护方面的担忧。过去关于应激对两栖动物的研究主要集中在实验室条件下对单一物种的影响。虽然这项工作提供了大量优秀的数据，但我们最终希望知道在更自然的条件下会发生什么。这项建议通过使用一系列实地实验来解决这些需求，这些实验研究了七种两栖动物以及与两栖动物衰退有关的常见环境应激源。这项工作将侧重于了解捕食者和竞争对手如何与自然和人为压力相互作用，影响水生群落。更广泛的影响包括对研究生和本科生(包括代表性不足的群体)的培训。对社会的好处包括更好地理解人类应激源如何影响自然群落和全球两栖动物的减少。我们的结果将由PI和学生在期刊、会议和大众媒体上传播。实验结果将被开发成供地区初中和高中教师使用的教学模块。总而言之，这项研究提供了一个很好的机会来促进我们对生态系统的基本理解，并对社会产生强大的积极影响。

The fields of toxicology and ecology are largely separate disciplines in the questions asked and the approaches taken. However, the two fields share a common goal of trying to understand how anthropogenic chemicals affect species and communities via direct and indirect food web effects. This common goal is especially strong for understanding how chemical stressors affect amphibian assemblages because of current conservation concerns over their global decline. Past studies of stress on amphibians have focused largely on the effects on single species under laboratory conditions. While this work has provided a great deal of excellent data, we ultimately wish to know what happens under more natural conditions. This proposal addresses these needs by using a series of field experiments that examine seven species of amphibians and common environmental stressor that are associated with amphibian declines. The work will focus on understanding how predators, and competitors interact with natural and anthropogenic stressors to affect aquatic communities. The broader impacts consist of training of graduate and undergraduate students (including under-represented groups). The benefits to society include a better understanding of how human stressors affect natural communities and global amphibian declines. Our results will be disseminated by the PI and students in journals, conferences, and the popular press. The experimental results will be developed into teaching modules for regional middle and high school teachers. Collectively, this research offers a great opportunity to advance our basic understanding of ecological systems and have a strong, positive impact on society.